Police: Man beat woman 'within an inch of her life' at Great Falls hotel

A 27-year-old man is being held on $150,000 bond after he was charged with allegedly kidnapping a woman and beating her "within an inch of her life."

Michael Echeverria is charged with aggravated kidnapping, assault with a weapon, robbery — all felonies — as well as misdemeanor partner or family member assault. He could be sentenced to more than 100 years in state prison if convicted.

Great Falls police were dispatched to the Heritage Inn around 9:30 p.m. on Sept. 6 for a disturbance reported in one of the hotel rooms. An officer reported finding Echeverria lying in the hallway, handcuffed by another officer and with a woman's purse strapped over his shoulder.

According to court documents, Echeverria was yelling he was "only protecting her."

In the hotel room, officers said they found blood on the bed, floor, walls and furniture. The victim was reported naked and covered in blood in the bathroom; officers noted a laceration near her temple. She told officers Echeverria had assaulted her several times and taken her purse. She was then taken to the emergency room.

The woman told police she had been dating Echeverria for four years but said they had been separated for about six weeks before the incident Wednesday night.

The woman said she and Echeverria argued about her getting a new tattoo but said the fight soon escalated as Echeverria pulled her from the bed and began repeatedly punching her, even as she tried to leave the hotel room. She told police it was possible she had been hit with a chair or other piece of furniture, although she had a difficult time remembering. Officers believe Echeverria used a table leg as a weapon in the alleged assault.

A man staying across the hall from the estranged couple told police he was watching TV when he heard some commotion. The man said he had been deployed in military operations overseas but "the violence I heard was way beyond what I have experienced in my life." He added that he thought "someone was going to die," according to court documents,

A woman staying below the two told police she could hear furniture being broken and someone yelling obscenities.

The officer said he later discovered Echeverria had called the woman's family and threatened to kill them, as well as the victim. During the phone call, family members said they could hear the woman screaming in the background.

During his initial court appearance on Thursday, deputy county attorney Fernando Terrones said during bail arguments that Echeverria is from California, doesn't have a Montana address and had beat the victim "within an inch of her life."

Echeverria's public defender said if he were released, he would stay with his parents in Hollywood.

Cascade County District Judge Elizabeth Best set his bail at $150,000.